California production outfit Creative Tank is gearing up to plant serious roots in North Texas, with plans to spend about $50 million on new sound stages and offices at the Super Studios USA site in Mansfield. The first phase is mapped at roughly 81,000 square feet on a planned 75-acre studio-city campus, and according to initial filings, construction is penciled in to start in August 2026 and wrap in June 2027. Company officials say that the debut phase will bring paired stages that function as four individual sound stages, along with production offices and a backlot stocked with camera-ready set pieces.
Per The Real Deal, the project surfaces in a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing that pegs the site at 561 Easy Drive. On its own site, the developer pitches the complex as a 75-acre "studio-city" featuring twin 18,000-square-foot stages, three-story attached offices, on-site postproduction and AI suites, plus future housing and hospitality. Super Studios USA notes that the campus will roll out in phases designed to serve production, post and crew services.
What's planned at the site
"The sound stage facility itself will include two twin sound stages, so really four sound stages," Creative Tank business manager Richard Judson told The Real Deal. Plans also call for a backlot lined with buildings that can double as set pieces and a mix of retail and hospitality space. On the residential side, the concept leans toward condos or townhouses instead of large multifamily blocks. The Real Deal points out that TDLR filings are preliminary and remain subject to change.
Why North Texas
State film policy has been doing some heavy lifting behind the scenes. In 2023, the Texas Legislature boosted the film-incentive pool to roughly $200 million, part of a wider push to attract shoots and long-term studio investment. As The Dallas Morning News reports, lawmakers have kept expanding that support, and local leaders say the momentum has producers and vendors circling the Dallas-Fort Worth area. One audiovisual company has already staked out a spot, telling the Fort Worth Report it plans a new headquarters next to the planned studio zone.
Timeline and what to watch
The filing’s August 2026 start and June 2027 completion dates offer the earliest rough cut of the construction schedule, but permits, city approvals and the developer’s financing all have to lock in before dirt actually moves. Local officials and the developer say the campus will be built in phases and could eventually include hotels, a trade school, and additional studio clusters if demand holds. If the project hits its mark, the buildout could bring hundreds of production-related jobs to the Mansfield area over the next several years.
For Mansfield leaders, the pitch is straightforward: grab a slice of the growing Texas production market by putting ready-made stages, crews and services on the map. Creative Tank’s $50 million first phase is the opening act in a longer mixed-use vision for Super Studios USA, and neighbors, along with industry suppliers, will be keeping an eye on city filings and state records for the next round of updates.
